How should you organize your website and URLs for users and search engines?

Start by grouping pages into topics users can understand, then connect the content through navigation and relevant internal links. Keep URLs short, readable, and descriptive of the page. This helps readers find information and search engines understand the relationships between pages. The point is not to make URLs look like folders or pack in more keywords, but to make categories, links, and URLs work together to explain “what this page is about and where you can go next.”

Group content by topic first, then subdivide when categories get too large

Yoast recommends first dividing articles or products into a few categories, then splitting them into subcategories when their content becomes difficult to browse, and adding the main categories to the site menu. This approach is not just for stores; informational websites can also organize articles by topic and subtopic.

• A clothing store could start with “Shoes,” then divide it by product type into boots, heels, and flats.
• Category pages should link to the products they contain, allowing users to choose among similar products and giving search engines a path to discover product pages.
• If a large product category has too much content for a single page, pagination with page numbers and previous and next links can make browsing back and forth easier.

The purpose of categorization is not to add layers, but to narrow the scope gradually. Decide whether to subdivide based on the amount of content; there is no need to add another layer to a category with little content just to display a hierarchy.

Use internal links to explain relationships, not to cram in navigation options

Menus provide the main entry points, while links within the content clarify relationships between pages. Relevant anchor text helps readers anticipate the destination page’s content and gives search engines context. For example, an article discussing shoe care could use “how to care for boots” as the link text to a related article, rather than a vague “click here.” This is an illustration, not required wording.

When adding a page, also check whether other relevant pages link to it, so it does not become an orphan page with no incoming internal links. Conversely, more links are not always better: Semrush cautions that excessive internal links can distract readers and reduce readability. Before adding one, ask: at this point in the text, does the reader have a reason to visit that page next?

Make URLs describe the content, rather than treating their appearance as a shortcut to higher rankings

URLs can reflect a logical grouping of topics, while the final segment should be as concise and descriptive as possible. For example, /blog/email-marketing-tips, cited in the source material, makes the content easier to anticipate than /blog/123abc45. Consider URL rewriting or removing unnecessary parameters where needed, but this does not mean that all URLs with parameters are problematic.

The sources do not reach a consistent conclusion about the SEO effects of URL appearance: a Stack Exchange answer argues that folder-style versus filename-style URLs do not matter in themselves, while other articles recommend reflecting categories in URLs. The common direction to follow is to make URLs clear, logical, and easy for users to understand. Neil Patel’s article also notes that keywords in URLs have a limited effect on rankings, so URL structure should not be treated as a guarantee of higher rankings.